Social workers are constantly predicting the future. In England and Wales there is a legal duty on them to do so, as the 1989 Children Act requires workers to assess not only whether children "have" suffered significant harm, but also whether they are "likely" to do so. Similarly, in Northern Ireland social workers are required…

Noting that risk assessment models are controversial and vary in definition, purposes, and risk criteria, reviews and contrasts 10 models used to guide decision making concerning the placement of maltreated children in out-of-home care. Found that models varied on pertinent criteria for assessing child risk, and identified six areas for further…